THE National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has announced the deployment of its personnel to 15 high-risk states to raise awareness among residents about the looming threat of floods and the urgent need to relocate from vulnerable areas.
The Head of the Press Unit at NEMA, Manzo Ezekiel, said that the affected states include Kogi, Imo, Enugu, Adamawa, Taraba, Borno, Zamfara, Katsina, and the Federal Capital Territory.
“We deployed anti-flooding advocacy teams to the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory. The responses have been overwhelming. We sent messages to them, but most of them didn’t even know the implications until they saw members of our advocacy come to speak to them on the issues related to the flooding. So, we can say all hands are on deck in collaboration with states.” he said.
According to Ezekiel, the May 23 flooding in Mokwa Local Government Area, Niger State, took many residents by surprise, especially those living in gully-prone areas, despite earlier warnings issued by authorities, many victims of the flooding built their residences in the gully areas.
“Niger State, the largest in Nigeria by landmass, hosts three major dams which include Kainji, Jebba, and Shiroro that play a crucial role in powering the national electricity grid has been prone to flooding in recent times with water released from one of the dams in April that destroyed more than 5,000 farms in 30 communities, including in Mokwa” Ezekiel said.
The ICIR reported that the Niger State Government said on Monday, June 2, that the death toll from last week’s flooding in the commercial hub of the State surged beyond 200, with more than 1,000 residents still missing.
The flood, which swept through three communities in Mokwa, displaced over 3,000 residents and destroyed at least 2,000 homes. Critical infrastructure, including three bridges and several roads, was also affected.
Recall that the Nigerian Meteorological Agency issued a warning on May 28, predicting heavy storms in Abuja and 14 of the country’s 36 states, including Niger.
The NEMA’s Head of Press emphasised that while official warnings had identified Niger State as being at risk of flooding, it was not classified as a ‘high-risk’ area, stressing that residents were still expected to stay vigilant.
“That is why we are saying that people should not relax, even those LGAs that were not identified. Because the forecasting agency did not mention that Mokwa LGA is at high risk, it is not an excuse for anybody or any community to relax. Everybody must be on alert. Every community needs to take a necessary step to forestall flooding in its area,” he added.
The NEMA official acknowledged that Nigeria had “numerous flood-prone areas,” referencing the 2024 flooding incident in Maiduguri as an example.
He warned every community to be on alert and take the necessary steps to forestall what happened in Mokwa from occurring in their area.
The agency stated that it had intensified its nationwide anti-flood advocacy efforts, particularly targeting communities where residents appear not to fully grasp the flood risk warnings.
“In some communities, we gave them first aid boxes and taught them how to administer them, because those are some of the immediate problems that may occur if there is a flood. We interact with the community, and the communities we visit are usually those that have been identified to be at risk” he added.
The ICIR reported that a large part of Maiduguri was submerged in the early hours of Tuesday, September 9, 2024, when the Alau Dam burst its banks after being overwhelmed by rainfall.
It was not the first time Maiduguri residents had been put on the edge as a consequence of surging waters from the dam, which was built in 1986 to help farmers with irrigation.
Nanji is an investigative journalist with the ICIR. She has years of experience in reporting and broadcasting human angle stories, gender inequalities, minority stories, and human rights issues.